Mittenshirt

ABSTRACT

The mittenshirt integrates a polar fleece pullover garment with a mitten for the purpose of preventing mittens from being pulled off. When worn under a jacket it also serves the purpose of covering the gap between the jacket sleeve and typical mittens to keep the wrist covered. The mittenshirt was originally designed for special needs children who would not keep mittens on but it is also useful for any child playing outside in the cold. The unique opening approximately 3 inches above the wrist on the palm side allows the child to pull their hand back up the sleeve and then slide the hand out without taking off the mittenshirt or the jacket worn over the mittenshirt.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING A COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The mittenshirt was invented to solve a problem the inventor encountered while working with developmentally disabled children. Many of these children would not wear mittens outside in the winter and did not appear to make the connection between their uncomfortable hands and the relief that could be had by putting on their mittens. The inventor was also concerned with the health and safety of the children as playing in the snow with bare hands could cause frostbite. The mittenshirt was designed to enable the inventor to easily put mittens on a child and to prevent the child from taking them off.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The mittenshirt is a pull over shirt made of polar fleece material with mittens incorporated at the hand end of the sleeves. It is designed to be worn as a layer under a jacket. The palm side of the wrist has an opening where the mitten portion and the sleeve portion overlap, allowing the wearer to pull their hand back into the sleeve and then slide their hand out of the mittenshirt through the opening.

The advantages of the mittenshirt are:

-   -   1. that mittens are easy to put on a resistant child as their         hands slide right into the mitten as they push their hands         through the sleeves of the mittenshirt.     -   2. that mittens are difficult to pull off, increasing the time a         child keeps the mittens on while playing outdoors.     -   3. the opening in the wrist allows children to free their hands         in order to zip or unzip their jacket or to cool their hands off         if they have gone inside (such as when going into a store where         the jacket would not be removed).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1.A.: Full length view of the mittenshirt

FIG. 1.B.: A view of the end of the left sleeve with the mitten folded back and the hand exposed

FIG. 1.C.: A view of the palm side of the end of the sleeve showing the opening through which the hand can slide out of the mittenshirt.

FIG. 2 shows how to assemble the 3 pieces which form the sleeve of the garment.

FIG. 2.a. The back of the hand side of the sleeve with the right side of the fabric facing up.

FIG. 2.b. The addition of the sleeve piece on the palm side of the hand which extends just to the wrist.

FIG. 2.c. The addition of the mitten piece on the palm side of the hand which overlaps the sleeve portion to create the opening through which the hand can be extracted from the shirt if desired.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All pattern pieces are cut from polar fleece material. The front and back are cut on the fold. The sleeves and mittens are cut in 3 pieces; the back side of the sleeve includes the mitten (see FIG. 2.a.), the front, or palm side of the sleeve has the sleeve down to the wrist and a separate mitten (see FIGS. 2.b. and 2.c.).

To assemble the mittenshirt:

-   1. With right sides of the fabric together stitch the front to the     back at the shoulder seams. -   2. Lay the back side of the sleeve right side facing up on a table     (FIG. 2.a.). Lay the palm side of the sleeve piece on top of that,     right side facing down, lining up the cut edges (FIG. 2.b.). Lay the     palm side of the mitten piece, right side down, on top of the mitten     portion of the back side of the sleeve, lining up cut edges and     overlapping the sleeve piece at the wrist (FIG. 2.c.). Pin in place     and stitch from the shoulder edged down and around the mitten and ½     way up toward the underarm edge of the sleeve. -   3. put right sides of the sleeves together with the right sides of     the shirt, matching shoulder seams with the seam along the top of     the sleeve and making sure the palm side of the mitten (the side     with the opening at the wrist) faces the front of the shirt. Stitch     from one side of the sleeve to the other matching under arm edges on     the front and back and seams at the shoulder. -   4. With right sides together stitch front to back along the underarm     seam matching the seams at the armpit. -   5. Clip seam of mitten where the thumb meets the palm and clip the     curves of the mitten. -   6. Turn shirt right side out. -   7. Turn back 1″ along the bottom edge of the shirt toward the inside     and stitch to hem. -   8. Finish the neck edge of the garment either by attaching a hood or     by sewing on a binding made of the same fabric. 

1. is an integrated sleeve and mitten attached to an upper body garment made from polar fleece material.
 2. is that the sleeve in claim 1 has an opening approximately 3 inches above the wrist on the palm side.
 3. is that the opening in claim 2 is formed by overlapping the fabric of the mitten portion and the fabric of the sleeve portion by approximately 3 inches such that there is no gap in coverage but a hand can be slid out from between the two parts if desired.
 4. is that the sleeve and mitten on the back of the hand side are made from one continuous piece of fabric. 